Tamara

A low point for Scalzi

Revisado: 04-18-25

I’m only half way through this book, and I can’t make it to the end. The premise is ultra goofy, but that’s not necessarily the problem. The writing is simply not good. The conversations between characters, in particular, are awful. The performance of these conversations makes it even worse.

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Couldn’t finish, too drawn out for my tastes

Revisado: 06-16-24

Thought I’d check this out given its high reviews. But really unimpressed by the story and just couldn’t get through the second half. This is an agonizingly slow moving story. Needed a lot of editing to wheedle it down, There is a big reveal midway through the book that was disappointing. It wasn’t a slow process of realization or discovery, but just a character telling the main character and the reader all the things they need to know, Didn’t make it too much further. To the point I finished, nothing surprising had happened, Even the big reveal was kind of unexciting and fit too neatly with little form the reader left to unravel. Not recommended.

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Story with a lot of build up and no conclusion

Revisado: 02-08-24

This is a strange story. I have no idea what it was about. Here are some themes picked up and abandoned… A man who abandons his girlfriend, friends, and life to be in a startup. Putting everything you have into the startup but being taken advantage of. Hacking of little companies by huge companies. A fantastical world we can travel to via mysterious portals and trading objects in this world for objects in that one, maybe. Finding your prefect mate. Understanding yourself or otherwise by answering questions. Teleporting between places on Earth. Appreciating art. Reading books gifted to you by a friend. Working in a collective versus at a major corporation. Being hyper focused on startups. Many, many references that can only be appreciated by people in San Francisco. Taking public transport. Trainings at major corporations. Connecting with people. Failing to connect with people.

So, it builds up a lot of different potential themes. But they never come together or go anywhere.

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Too predictable

Revisado: 12-20-23

The story was highly predictable to me. And I felt there was an excess of pointless analogies in the overlong descriptions. It dragged. Had to listen on fast speed. Narrator did a good job despite the weak material.

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Heavy handed commentary!

Revisado: 09-24-23

The main character is a teenage woman who has been genetically engineered to be a space fighter. The planet earth has been tragically destroyed, and she and a small set of remaining humans are preparing to help the human race, survive and take vengeance.

The story mixes elements of a lot of sci-fi books, but I won’t spoil it by getting into the details. A m ajor theme of the book is fighting patriarchy. As others have noted, the book undermines itself because repeatedly asserts that men are bigger and stronger, and there is simply nothing women can do to fight this.

The main character is coming of age. I found her to be not particularly likable, and this made it hard to keep on with the story.

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Pompous, out of date, focused on minutia

Revisado: 07-29-23

Generally a fan of Neal Stephenson, but this is the second book in a row that is a hard no thank you. There is a lot of what I can only assume is some flaunting of knowledge about Dutch royalty, random parts of Texas, native Americans, pig hunting, etc. completely boring and a huge turn off. Moreover, the changes that were anticipated as a result of Covid seem a bit silly in hindsight. It’s a book really spends a lot of time on nothing and goes nowhere and I can’t possibly finish it. I’m 1/4 through but I’ll be stopping here.

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First he brushed his teeth, then he ….

Revisado: 07-29-22

Not a terrible setup, but the story is really simplistic. And perhaps the details of daily life are a bit much..

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A big nothing burger

Revisado: 06-30-22

I’m usually a big Scalzi fan, but not this time. The dialog was *painful*. The narration made it *worse*. The story was really weak. Don’t waste your time.

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Unoriginal repeat of Super Powereds

Revisado: 04-17-22

This is really just Super Powereds repackaged. Characters trying to figure out their powers and be good people at the same time. Totally packaged to take you right into the next book with many hanging storyline threads. I got super bored of Super Powered, and I can already see this is no different. It’s not terrible, but it’s just not anything much beyond filling time.

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First book in a series that gets better and better

Revisado: 08-12-20

Emma Newman is a superb writer, a rarity in science fiction. This first in a four-book (so far) series has a lot going for it, but the other three books are even better! Each book focuses on the inward world of a different protagonist that is struggling with themselves and their life choices. The characters are raw and realistic, not necessarily sympathetic. This sometimes made me want to stop reading, but Newman's prose drew me back in with its beauty. The world building itself is spectacular. The book left me so raw and unsatisfied that I almost didn't continue the series. But I think the void and discomfort it leaves is part of what's so interesting about the book, especially upon reflection. I look forward to re-reading this book again in the future, especially as the series expands.

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